Pendulum-type accelerometer

• US 5,134,883 A
• Filed: 09/27/1990
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shannon E. Paul
• Original Assignee: Shannon E. Paul
• Inventors: Shannon, E. Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/589,329
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 73/170 A, 73/178 R, 73/178 H, 73/178 T, 73/516 R, 73/517 R, 33/366, 33/396
• US Class Current: 73/514.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/14 movable in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/07 Indicating devices, e.g. for remote indication indicating working conditions of vehicles G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/11 by inductive pick-up

Abstract

A pendulum-type accelerometer for use on trucks, cranes, airplanes, and boats as a multipurpose sensor. A cylinder with a damping fluid includes four equally spaced coils in a base of the cylinder and a pendulum suspended from a top of the cylinder which swings over the coils. Coils connected to a signal processing system which provides an angular momentum and banking signal and an acceleration and deacceleration or grade indicator signal.

Claims

1. An angular momentum and banking indicator and acceleration-deacceleration grade indicator system comprising:

a. a housing having a top, a base, and a generally cylindrical wall;

b. a center coil on the base of said housing for attachment to altering current;

c. a plurality of four sensing coils symmetrically spaced about said center coil on the base of said housing;

d. a pendulum suspended from the top of said housing over and about all of coils, having a rest position over the center coil;

e. signal processing means connected to said sensing coils for sensing deviation of the pendulum from the rest position; and

,

display means connected to said signal processing means for displaying said deviation.

2. Apparatus for detecting deflection from a rest state comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a pendulum suspended from the housing;

c. a central power coil connected to a source of alternating current;

d. a set of at least four sensing coils symmetrically spaced about the center power coil;

e. the pendulum having a rest state over the center power coil and having a deflected state wherein it moves from vertical;

f. each sensing coil being connected to a rectifier for sensing magnetic flux through the coil; and

,

g. display means electrically connected to the rectifiers for displaying deviation of the pendulum from vertical based upon the signals from the rectifiers.